| Macedonian Americans |
|---|
 |
| Total population |
43,000 (2002 census) |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Michigan, Indiana, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Florida |
| Languages |
| English, Macedonian |
| Religions |
| Predominantly Macedonian Orthodox with some Muslim adherents |
|
Macedonian Americans are Americans of ethnic Macedonian descent. Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. The State of Indiana ( was the 19th US state admitted into the union New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Macedonian () is the official Language of the Republic of Macedonia and is a part of the Eastern group of South Slavic languages. History Origins After the fall of the First Bulgarian Empire, the Emperor Basil II acknowledged the autocephalous status of the Bulgarian A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion The Macedonians (Македонци transliterated Makedonci) also referred to as Macedonian Slavs --> --> are a South Slavic people Macedonian culture is the Culture of the South Slavic Ethnic Macedonian population of the Balkan region known in the 20th century as Vardar Macedonian () is the official Language of the Republic of Macedonia and is a part of the Eastern group of South Slavic languages. When Turkish rule was supplanted by Serbian rule in 1913 the Serbs officially denied Macedonian distinctiveness considering the Macedonian language merely a dialect of Serbo-Croatian Macedonian culture is the Culture of the South Slavic Ethnic Macedonian population of the Balkan region known in the 20th century as Vardar Music of the Republic of Macedonia and Ethnic Macedonians has many things in common with the music of neighbouring Balkan countries Macedonian culture is the Culture of the South Slavic Ethnic Macedonian population of the Balkan region known in the 20th century as Vardar Macedonian cuisine (Македонска кујна transliterated Makedonska Kujna) is a representative of the cuisine of the Balkans, reflecting The Macedonians (Македонци transliterated Makedonci) also referred to as Macedonian Slavs --> --> are a South Slavic people In the Republic of Macedonia the main religion is Macedonian Orthodox, followed by Islam. History Origins After the fall of the First Bulgarian Empire, the Emperor Basil II acknowledged the autocephalous status of the Bulgarian The Roman Catholic Church in the Republic of Macedonia is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and Curia The Macedonian Catholic Church, called the Macedonian Byzantine Catholic Church, is a Byzantine Rite Sui juris particular church within the communion Muslims in the Republic of Macedonia form 33% of the Republic of Macedonia's total population The history of Jews in the territory of the present-day Republic of Macedonia began in Roman times when Jews first arrived in the region in the It is estimated that Protestantism is practised by 61358 or roughly 3% of the total population The Union of the Baptist Christians in the Republic of Macedonia is a small fellowship of Baptist churches in the Republic of Macedonia. The history of the Macedonian people is closely associated with the historical and geographical region of Macedonia, and is manifested with their constant struggle The National Liberation War of Macedonia (Народноослободителна Борба на Македонија (НОБ transliterated Narodnoosloboditelna The National Liberation Front (abbreviated NOF) (Народно Ослободителен Фронт (НОФ transliterated Narodno Osloboditelen Front The Republic of Macedonia (Република The Republic of Macedonia (Република The Macedonians (Македонци transliterated Makedonci) also referred to as Macedonian Slavs --> --> are a South Slavic people Ethnic Macedonians of Albania are an officially recognized ethnic minority in Albania Ethnic Macedonians in Bulgaria or Pirin Macedonians are a group mostly concentrated in the Pirin region of Macedonia. Ethnic Macedonians of Serbia are an officially recognized ethnic minorityin Serbia Macedonians in Slovenia is a term referring to the groups of Ethnic Macedonians residing in Slovenia. Macedonians in Croatia refers to the group of Ethnic Macedonians who reside in Croatia. Macedonian Australians are Australians of ethnic Macedonian descent Macedonian Canadians are a group of Ethnic Macedonians who live in Canada. Macedonians in Sweden is a term referring to the groups of Ethnic Macedonians residing in Sweden. The Ethnic Macedonians of Romania are a recognised minority with full minority rights Macedonians in Switzerland are Ethnic Macedonians who reside in Switzerland. According to the 2006 census figures 62295 ethnic Macedonians reside in Germany. "Aegean Macedonians" (Егејски Македонци Egejski Makedonci) or simply "Aegeans" (Егејци Egejci) are terms The Macedonian Muslims ( Macedonian: Македонци-муслимани Makedonci-muslimani) also known as Muslim Macedonians or Torbeš This is a list of Macedonians (Македонци Makedonci) a modern South Slavic ethnic group Public holidays are observed in the Republic of Macedonia for a number of reasons including for religious religious and national significance The Macedonians (Македонци transliterated Makedonci) also referred to as Macedonian Slavs --> --> are a South Slavic people
Contents |
Immigration
Macedonian immigration to the United States began in the early twentieth century, as poverty forced many peasants to seek economic opportunities abroad. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The twentieth century of the Common Era began on For this reason, it is difficult to determine precise numbers of Macedonian immigrants. It is estimated, however, that between 1903 and 1906, approximately 50,000 Macedonians[1] entered the United States. From 1906 to the outbreak of the Balkan Wars and World War I, a few thousand more arrived. The Balkan Wars were two wars in South-eastern Europe in 1912–1913 in the course of which the Balkan League ( Bulgaria, Montenegro, Greece World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The first Macedonian immigrants came primarily from the western parts of Macedonia, near the towns of Kastoria, Florina, and Bitola. Kastoria (Καστοριά Kastoriá, ˌkasto̞ɾˈja is a city in northern Greece in the periphery of West Macedonia. Flórina (Φλώρινα local Slavic: Лерин Lerin; known also by several alternative names) is a town in mountainous northwestern Macedonia Bitola (Битола; known also by several alternative names) is a city in the southwestern part of the Republic of Macedonia. About 80 percent of these immigrants were peasants, with small craftsmen, workers, and intellectuals making up the remainder. The vast majority of early Macedonian immigrants were gurbetchii or pechalbari, single men driven by poverty to seek their fortunes in America, but who expected to return to their homeland after a few years.
History
After World War I, many Macedonians in America returned to Europe, with only about 20,000 Macedonians remaining in the United States. Further immigration was seriously affected by passage of the Immigration Act of 1924 (the Johnson-Reed Act), which established quotas for each national group based on their numbers in the American population in 1920. The Immigration Act of 1924, or Johnson-Reed Act, including the National Origins Act, Asian Exclusion Act, (43 Statutes-at-Large 153 was a United Because Macedonian immigration had begun so late, and because many immigrants had returned to their homeland, the basis for the Macedonian quota was extremely low. Nevertheless, though new immigration was much slower during the period between the world wars, Macedonians continued to enter the United States. Many arrived via Canada, crossing the border into Detroit to evade quota restrictions. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page During this period, increasing numbers of Macedonians also arrived from Greece. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία By 1945, the number of Macedonians in the United States had reached an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 people.
When the Yugoslav Federation was created after World War II, however, Macedonian immigration slowed significantly. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Yugoslavia's support of Macedonian autonomy, as well as economic improvements in Macedonia, encouraged Macedonians to remain there. From 1945 to 1960, only about 2,000 Macedonians arrived in the United States from Yugoslavia. See also Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia ( Serbo-Croatian During the 1960s and 1970s, however, after emigration policies were liberalized, as many as 40,000 Macedonians left Yugoslavia for Canada, Australia, and the United States. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Few from Bulgaria, however, were allowed to leave. The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian As many as 70,000 Macedonians living in Greece left that country after World War II [2], when Slavs were expelled from the area of Macedonia annexed by Greece from the Ottoman Empire after World War I. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Many settled in Canada, where the Macedonian community in Toronto grew to more than 150,000. Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario Smaller numbers moved to Australia and the United States.
During the 1990s, Macedonian immigration again increased. Newcomers followed the same settlement patterns of earlier immigrants, settling in large urban centers in the Midwest. Like earlier generations, most came to take advantage of economic opportunities. Others entered the United States to enroll in colleges and universities. The 1990 U. S. census listed the number of Macedonian Americans as 20,365 but that figure almost certainly under-represents the actual population.
Religion
American Protestant churches played a notable role in Macedonian immigration. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Congregational and Methodist churches began missionary activities in the Balkans in the 1860s and 1870s, and sent many Macedonians to the United States to attend college. Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations When these individuals returned, they spoke highly of their experiences in America. In addition, the churches established numerous schools in Balkan cities and towns. These activities created a positive image of America and prompted interest in immigration.
Settlement patterns
Though a small proportion of Macedonians who came to the United States from Yugoslavia in the 1950s and 1960s were political dissidents, the majority of Macedonian immigrants were compelled by economic motives. Early Macedonian immigrants from Bulgaria settled in America's northern and eastern industrial centers, especially in the Midwest, where they were able to find unskilled jobs in heavy industries. A large community sprang up in Detroit, which numbered from as many as 15,000 to 20,000 Macedonian Americans by the 1980s. Macedonians also settled in large numbers in Gary, Indiana, Chicago, Illinois, and the Ohio cities of Columbus, Akron, Lorain, Cincinnati, Canton, and Massillon. The State of Indiana ( was the 19th US state admitted into the union Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads Columbus is the Capital and the largest city of the US state of Ohio. Akron is a city in the US state of Ohio and the County seat of Summit County. Canton is a city in the US state of Ohio and the County seat of Stark County. Massillon is a city in Stark County in the US state of Ohio. The population was 31325 at the 2000 census. Other communities were established in Passaic, New Jersey and in New York City, Lackawanna, Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse, New York. New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. The City of New York Buffalo (ˈbʌfəloʊ is the second largest city in New York State. Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York State, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Syracuse (locally ˈsɛrəkjuːs sometimes ˈsɪrəkjuːs or /ˈsɪərəkjuːs/ by non-natives is a city in Central New York, USA. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous
Adjusting to industrial jobs and a competitive economic setting was often difficult for Macedonian immigrants, who had come from relatively poor rural areas dominated by an authoritative political regime. Upon their arrival in the United States, they often took hazardous jobs in mines, steel mills and foundries, and railroad construction. Since most immigrants were single men, residents from the same village or region in their homeland tended to stay together in America for social support. Coffee houses and boarding houses became important places where immigrants could socialize and share job prospects, read newspapers and discuss politics, and participate in their associations. Where Macedonians were few in number, they often associated with other Slavic or Orthodox communities.
Macedonian immigrants established fraternal, mutual aid, and cultural societies in America that offered assistance when members lost their jobs or became ill. These societies were organized according to place of origin, and often sent material aid back to their respective villages in Macedonia. The Macedonian Orthodox Church also served as an important cohesive presence. History Origins After the fall of the First Bulgarian Empire, the Emperor Basil II acknowledged the autocephalous status of the Bulgarian
Notable Macedonian-Americans
- Mike Ilitch - Ilitch Holdings, Inc. Michael "Mike" Ilitch, born Michael Iliev or Ilievski on July 20 1929 in Detroit Michigan is an
- Denise Ilitch
- Christopher Ilitch
- Marian Bayoff Ilitch
- Mike Vrabel - linebacker for the New England Patriots
- Vladimir Cetkar - jazz guitarist in New York City
- Tim Goeglein - former Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Public Liaison, Office of Public Liaison, Executive Office of the President under George W. Bush
- Mike Zafirovski - CEO of Nortel, Inc. Christopher Ilitch (born June 1965 Detroit Michigan) is one of the seven children of Mike and Marian Ilitch. Michael George Vrabel (VRAY-bull (born August 14, 1975 in Akron Ohio) is an American football Linebacker for the New England The New England Patriots, commonly called the " Pats " by sports writers and fans are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston The City of New York Timothy Goeglein (pronounced GEGG-line (born January 6, 1964) was a special assistant to the President of the United States and was Deputy Director of George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Mike S Zafirovski (b circa 1954 Skopje, Yugoslavia, present-day the Republic of Macedonia) is a Macedonian - American businessman Nortel Networks Corporation () formerly known as Northern Telecom Limited and sometimes known simply as Nortel, is a multinational Telecommunications and Director, Board of Directors, Boeing
- Kristopher Maslardzievski - Actor in Los Angeles, California
- Katrina Markoff - Owner/Founder, Vosges Haut-Chocolat
- Slavco Madzarov - President, Slavco Construction, Inc. The Boeing Company is a major Aerospace and defense corporation originally founded by William E Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West
- Lou Vlasho- Vergina Restaurants, Naples Florida
- Andrew Peykoff Sr. - CEO and owner of Niagara Drinking Water
- Jovan Kirovski - US soccer player
- Gjorgija George Atanasoski-Owner of Macedonian Sun magazine. Jovan Kirovski (born March 18, 1976, in Escondido, California) is an American Soccer forward of Macedonian descent
- Dino Delevski - Indoor Soccer player
- Sandre Naumovski - Indoor Soccer player; Republic of Macedonia soccer team member
- Kevin Kouzmanoff - San Diego Padres third baseman
- George Nanchoff - indoor/outdoor soccer player
- Louis Nanchoff - indoor/outdoor soccer player
See Also
External links
- United Macedonian Diaspora
- Macedonian Community of New Jersey (MCNJ)
- Macedonian Festival in New Jersey
- Makedonski Glas-Macedonian Newspaper in USA
- Macedonian Yellow Pages
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